Means for adjusting the end walls of the roll gap of rolling mills for the production of sheets or strips from particles, particularly metal particles



Nov. 26, 1968 w. MARX 3,412,428

MEANS FOR ADJUSTING THE END WALLS OF THE ROLL GAP OF ROLLING MILLS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SHEETS OR STRIPS FROM PARTICLES, PARTICULARLY METAL PARTICLES Filed July 15, 1966 United States Patent ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Means for adjusting the movable end walls of a feeding container, and thereby limiting the breadth of flow of particles, particularly metal particles, to the roll gap of a rolling mill for the production of sheets, plates or strips from particles, wherein pressure spindles extend towards the roll gap through the housing checks in which the rolling-mill rolls are journaled, and bear against the end walls of the feeding container in the neighborhood of the roll gap, to support the thrust of the particles against the said end walls.

The end walls are preferably pivotally mounted on axially slidable shafts journaled in bearing blocks secured to the housing cheeks, the breadth of flow of the particles being adjustable by lifting slidable wedges which are interposed between the bearing blocks and the housing cheeks.

This invention relates to means for adjusting the end walls of the roll gap in rolling mills for the production of sheets, plates or strips from particles, particularly metal particles. In a known manner the metal particles are supplied to the roll gap by way of a container which is arranged above a pair of rolls. The end of the container adjacent to the rolls is shaped to fit snugly to the rolls, and the end walls extend approximately right to the narrowest position of the roll gap. They form, with the latter, a roll pass closed in itself. To enable the supply container to be inserted for different sheet or strip breadths, it is known to construct its end walls so as to be adjustable in the axial direction of the rolls.

During the rolling operation a rolling pressure occurs which acts in the direction of end walls of the supply container, and which has to be taken up by the end walls of the supply container. Since these lateral pressures assume considerable values, it is necessary that the end walls of the supply container should be of particularly stout construction. In known supply containers that are adjustable in the axial direction of the rolls, difficulties arise in enabling the strip breadth or sheet breadth, determined by the distance between the end walls, to be corrected during the rolling operation. This is to be attributed above all to the fact that the known supply containers form a system of forces closed in itself, and consequently the lateral pressures arising have to be taken up by the container itself. With these known supply containers, in order to enable an adjustment of the end walls to be carried out even during the operation of the rolling mill, extensive constructional measures would be required on the intermediate container. The supply container thereby becomes exceedingly complicated in its structure, particularly if the regulating of the breadth is to be effected automatically.

The object of the invention is to provide means for adusting the end walls of the roll gap, which will be simple in structure, and which will furthermore reliably take up 3,412,428 Patented Nov. 26, 1968 the lateral pressures occurring during the rolling process. This latter object is attained, according to the invention, by means of pressure spindles which extend through the housing cheeks in the direction of the roll gap, and locate the point of application of their force to the end wall in the neighborhood of the roll gap. By this invention, therefore, the lateral pressures arising during the rolling operation are no longer taken up by the supply container itself but are transmitted by the pressure spindles to the cheeks of the housing. By the pressure spindles penetrating through the housing checks the advantage is at the same time obtained that the adjusting movement can be carried out in a simple manner, without the supply container having to participate in it.

The end walls may advantageously be rockably pivoted at their upper ends on bearing bodies or blocks secured to the housing cheeks. To enable the end walls to be at the same time associated with changes of form of the sheets or strips, in a further development of the invention the bearing blocks serving as holding means for the end walls are so constructed as to be adjustable in the axial direction of the rolls by means of a wedge pass-gap-setting device. The pivoting of the end walls in the bearing blocks may advantageously be eifected by means of shafts which are so journaled in the bearing blocks as to be slidable in their axial direction. The possibility is thereby yielded that the end walls are able to follow slight roll-center displacements of the rolling mill.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a plan view of a rolling mill for the production of sheets (or plates) or sections from metal particles; and

FIGURE 2 shows a section on the line IIH in FIGURE 1.

In these drawings, the housing cheeks are denoted by 1, and the rolling mill rolls by 2, whilst 3, 3 denote the two end walls of the supply container for feeding particles to the roll gap 4. The side walls of the feeding container, which extend parallel to the rolls are not shown.

The edges 5, facing the rolls 2, of the end walls 3 are accurately fitted to the roll surface. These end walls are secured to shafts 6, which are axially displaceable in bearing blocks 7 on both sides of the rolls, these bearing blocks being secured by means of adjustable screws 8 to the housing cheeks 1, with the interposition of adjustable wedges 9. The end walls are provided near their lower ends with thrust surfaces 10, which serve as action surfaces for engaging pressure spindles 11, which extend through the housing cheeks 1, and are guided by means of screw-threaded inserts 12. The pressure spindles 11 are each provided at the outer end with a square stud 13, for engagement with a manually or mechanically actuated drive.

The rolls are journaled in adjustable chocks 14. Closure covers 15 screen the bearings 16.

Owing to the fact that the pressure spindles 11 engage the lower ends of the end walls 3, the lateral pressures acting upon the end walls during the rolling process are taken up in a particularly favorable manner. In correcting the breadth of a strip, the end walls 3 are only transiently changed by the pressure spindles 11 as regards their distance apart, so that the distance between the roll surfaces and end walls varies only within permissible limits.

In adjusting the strip breadth the fastening screws 8 are released, and by shifting the wedges 9, the bearing blocks 7, and with them the end walls pivoted thereto, are displaced parallel to one another, and by re-adjusting the spindles 11 the flow of force is reestablished. Thereby not only is the angle which the end walls 3 include with the rolls maintained, but in addition to this the gap between the end walls and the roll surfaces is not altered. If, during the adjusting movement of the rolls 2, for varying the roll gap 4 and therefore the sheet thickness, a displacement of a roll center is brought about, the end walls 3 can follow this displacement, since their shafts 6 are so journaled in the bearing blocks 7 as to be slidable in their axial direction. The invention admits of being set up in an equally advantageous manner with upright roll stands.

I claim:

1. In rolling mills for the production of sheets, plates and strips from particles, particularly metal particles, comprising housing cheeks, rolls journaled in the housing cheeks, means for limiting the breadth of flow of the particles to the roll gap, a feeding container, having end walls for supplying the particles to the roll gap, the said end walls being adjustable in the axial direction of the rolls, and pressure spindles, extending towards the roll gap through the housing checks in which the rolling-mill rolls are journaled, and bearing against the end walls of the container in the neighborhood of the roll gap.

2. In means for limiting the breadth of flow of particles in rolling mills as claimed in claim 1, bearing blocks secured to the housing cheeks, the end walls of the feeding container each being pivoted near its upper edge to one of the said bearing blocks.

3. In means for limiting the breadth of flow of particles in rolling mills as claimed in claim 1, bearing blocks secured to the housing cheeks, and shafts so journaled in the bearing blocks as to be axially displaceable therein, the end walls of the feeding containers each being secured to one of the said shafts.

4. In means for limiting the breadth of flow of particles in rolling mills as claimed in claim 1, bearing blocks mounted on the housing cheeks, screws securing the hearing blocks to the housing cheeks, and slidable wedges interposed between the bearing blocks and the housing cheeks to enable the position of the end walls to be adjusted in the axial direction of the rolls.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,919,466 1/1960 Roemer 18-9 2,922,223 I/ 1960 BoughtOn et a1 18-9 XR 3,216,059 9/1965 Voelskow 189 XR 3,226,765 1/ 1966 Houser 18-9 WILLIAM J. STEPHENSON, Primary Examiner. 

